


The Hospitality of House Nuvelle

by sambharsobs



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Humor, Pets, Pining, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:28:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22914007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sambharsobs/pseuds/sambharsobs
Summary: "My dear Hapi.""Yeah, Coco?""When you said you were bringing a guest, I assumed you would be bringing...a human."
Relationships: Hapi/Constance von Nuvelle
Comments: 7
Kudos: 71





	1. An Unexpected Guest

"My dear Hapi."

"Yeah, Coco?"

Constance gripped the edge of her umbrella tightly, clenching her teeth to resemble a grin.

"When you said you were bringing a guest, I assumed you would be bringing...a human."

The Demonic Beast beside Hapi snarled, flecks of rotting saliva splattering on the driveway towards the manor. Some of it fell on Constance's skirt.

That was the cue for her chief of staff, Geoffrey, to utter another shriek, and for the guards to shakily raise their lances.

"Wha-? Why are you guys getting all riled up? Gigi won't do a thing!" shouted Hapi.

"Gigi?" spluttered Constance, eyeing the four-legged monster warily. It's shockingly black eyes regarded her small personal guard with something akin to ravenous excitement. At the prospect of battle or the prospect of dinner? Constance wasn't so sure.

"Yeah," grinned Hapi. "I call him Gigi, but his actual name is Giggles."

"...Giggles."

"Because he likes to giggle! See, his sweet spot is right here-"

And flicking her ponytail back, Hapi reached for the beast, who obligingly bent down to display it's neck. Her dear friend scratched the neck, and - Constance blinked hard, hoping her eyes were deceiving her - the beast began to let out strange, chortling snarls.

Geoffrey whimpered from somewhere behind her. The guards kept their weapons drawn.

Constance took in a deep breath, steeling herself.

"Giggling aside, my dear Hapi, it does not explain why you would show up at the Nuvelle Manor-" the blooming pride in her chest refused to leave still, "-with this...this…"

"This cutie?" cooed Hapi at the seemingly pleased monster.

"This Demonic Beast," reminded Constance.

"Aw, c'mon Coco, don't be like that," said Hapi, turning to her with a pout. "Well, I was travelling near old Alliance territory, and it was just really boring, so I accidently let out a sigh. So then this baby turned up. He just wanted to hang out, I guess? Gigi's been with me since."

"You've been travelling with the beast?"

"His name is Gigi, Coco."

"Oh, forgive me for my indelicacy," hissed Constance. "My dear Hapi, what ever must the people be saying-"

"Ah, people will flap their jaws for everything. I don't care about them," said Hapi, shrugging. Some of her hair slipped loose of her ponytail, falling on tan, strong shoulders, which suddenly slumped.

"Coco, he's a baby. I couldn't find any pack or den. And I don't want him to be alone out there," she said, softly. Pink eyes found blue, softening around the edges. "Please."

Constance felt an ache spring from her brows, and it had nothing to do with the blistering noon sun. She gestured to the guards to stand down, and squared her shoulders.

"Very well. A guest is a guest, after all, and House Nuvelle is nothing but gracious to all those who stop by, be they human or...er, not."

"Really?" Hapi's eyes began to shine, and she moved forward to gather Constance into a hug, careful not to disturb the umbrella the blonde held. Constance closed her eyes at the touch briefly.

"I will not let it be known that House Nuvelle turned away a specially requested guest, especially when said request came from a dear friend," she murmured softly.

"You're the best, Coco," said Hapi, drawing back and letting the full force of her grin strike Constance. "Gigi's really sweet. You'll love him, just watch."

"Well, why don't you introduce me to him?"

"Oh!" Hapi held her wrist and pulled Constance forward gently. The beast, which was drooling over a patch of once-perfectly pruned lilies, turned it's pitch-black gaze to her. "Coco, this is Giggles. Gigi, this is the mightiest mage across all Fodlan and the Emperor's personal magical researcher, Constance von Nuvelle." Hapi shot her a twinkling smile.

Constance swallowed the fear bubbling up her threat, and threw her chin up as high as it could go. She tugged her hand out of Hapi's soft grip, and marched forward a few paces to come nearly face-to-face with the nightmarish form on her lawn.

"Greetings, Ser Giggles, and welcome to Nuvelle Manor. I am the lady of the house and descendant of the Nuvelle bloodline, Constance von Nuvelle. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

A silence fell, where Constance hoped the beast didn't have a fondness for the meat of magical researchers who despised being out in the sun and was the last of her line.

Then, a giant, slimy tongue emerged from the beast's maw, and it--  _ Giggles _ licked the entire right side of Constance's lithe form. Now covered in saliva that smelled worse than it looked - chunky, for those curious - Constance could only gape as Giggle burst out into more of those distant, chortling snarls.

Clapping her hands, Hapi cheered from next to her, "Aww, he likes you, Coco! I knew it!"

Shakily wiping off the sticky liquid dribbling down her arm and onto her dress, Constance could only hope that was indeed the case.


	2. Accommodating Accommodations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Wait, Hapi! Don't leave me alone with- Oh, you must be joking me," muttered Constance.
> 
> The beast eyed her, and Constance threw her shoulders back.
> 
> "Don't you get any ideas, beast. My Nuvelle magic will obliterate you in a snap. So you stay where you are, and I'll respect your boundaries, and we shall get along for Hapi. Understood?" said Constance.

The walls of the manor were made of sweet shortbread, just like the cookies Mercedes used to make for Emile and her when they were little, and the roof was raspberry icing. The window-panes were hard sugar, and the wooden door was all chocolate, decadent, delicious chocolate that had Constance breaking off a bit and pressing onto her lips-

"Coco."

Chairs cushioned with gateaux made by the best chefs in Faerghus, and pillows stuffed with Almyran sweet sticky rice had Constance pressing her mouth to the sugary sheets for another bite-

"Coco, wake up."

"Mgh?" Constance woke up to linen sheets and no sugar, back at Nuvelle Manor, with the midnight moon twinkling through regular cloth curtains. Crouched beside her, Hapi's sweet face was twisted into a frown. "My dear Hapi, is something the matter?"

"It's pouring," she said, running a hand through Constance's sleep-mussed hair.

Constance cleared her throat at the touch. "Yes, it is. Did you wake me up just to share that bit of information with me?"

Hapi frowned at her, looking disappointed. "Gigi's out in it," she said.

That wretched monster again.

After quelling the initial panic from her staff, Constance had graciously welcomed the beast into her grounds. The thing seemed relatively harmless, and Hapi had repeatedly assured her that the four-legged terror only ate wild game, which it hunted for itself.

However, despite all the modern and high-quality facilities available at Nuvelle Manor, no stable was large enough to host a beast that was not built to be domesticated. Constance would be darned before she let it sleep anywhere near her precious pegasi, given it's dietary preferences.

Which left the beast to sleep outside on the back lawn, which had the most open space. And now, it was raining, and dear Hapi was worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

Constance rubbed the sleep out of her eyes warily.

Once securing a dressing-gown and an umbrella, Constance marched towards the back lawn. Hapi unfurled the umbrella and pulled Constance flush against her, and they ran through squelching grass.

Maybe Constance should have got a pick-me-up before sprinting out in the rain, but was this beast whimpering?

Hapi crouched beside the beast's maw, and stroked it soothingly, whispering softly to the beast. Then she looked up pleadingly, and Constance knew she had no other choice.

Muttering a spell under her breath, Constance drew a glittering force-field around the beast. The sound of rain dulled as the droplets bounced off the barrier.

"There's that Nuvelle magical talent," said Hapi teasingly.

"You are most certainly correct. However, as much as a magical prodigy as I am, I cannot keep this barrier up without remaining in the vicinity." Constance chewed her lip, cursing her lack of talent. "What shall we do?"

Hapi hummed to herself for a moment, snapping her fingers. "I have an idea!" she said, and then sprinted back to the manor.

"Wait, Hapi! Don't leave me alone with- Oh, you must be joking me," muttered Constance.

The beast eyed her, and Constance threw her shoulders back.

"Don't you get any ideas, beast. My Nuvelle magic will obliterate you in a snap. So you stay where you are, and I'll respect your boundaries, and we shall get along for Hapi's sake. Understood?" said Constance.

It huffed, acidic and rotting breath steaming from its jaw. It was the closest to a truce she was going to get.

Hapi returned shortly after, armed with blankets and pillows, kept dry under the umbrella. She spread them on the damp grass and lay down on it, patting the cloth beside her and looking at Constance expectantly. Left with no other option, Constance slipped beside her friend, and shut her eyes against the night sky.

When she woke up, the skies had cleared, and the sun shone strongly through Nuvelle land. However, Constance did not feel the acerbic hatred she usually felt for herself crawling through her skin.

Hapi's eyes shone softly at her. "Gigi decided to give you some shelter back," she said. The beast towered over them, blocking out the sun.

Constance met pitch-black eyes and then turned away with a huff of her own.


	3. Come Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "...you must be joking."
> 
> "Play nice, Coco."
> 
> "Oh-!" Constance spluttered angrily. "You cannot seriously be asking me to play nice with a monster!

"...you must be joking."

Constance gazed at the massive metal rod in Hapi's hands, and then drew her gaze to Giggles, who was eyeing the make-shift toy with considerable excitement.

Hapi shook her head. "Think of it as a bonding exercise, Coco."

"By playing fetch with a Demonic Beast?!"

Hapi's adorable pout returned. "Play nice, Coco."

"Oh-!" Constance spluttered angrily. "You cannot seriously be asking  _ me _ to play nice with a monster!"

A saddened look crossed her dear friend's face, and Constance realised her mistake only after the words spilled out.

Taking a breath, she trained her gaze to the once-pruned grass of her lawn that was now being crushed under Giggles' limbs. "My apologies," she said.

"Nah, it's fine if you don't want to. I just thought...you know, because Gigi really does like you, that maybe you'd want to spend some time with him. But you're right, it is a lot of effort, so…"

"Cease those thoughts at once. Ser Giggles is an honoured friend of yours, and is therefore mine as well. I shall be delighted to play fetch with him."

Constance reached for the rod in Hapi's hands, tugged it free, only to drop if from the sheer weight. She shot Hapi a look.

Sheepishly, Hapi scratched the back of her head. "He usually destroys anything that isn't metal. But he's learning to be gentle."

"Of course," muttered Constance. Gathering some magic in her fingers, she levitated the stick off the ground, and dangled it before Giggles' face.

Like an excitable hound, he crouched before her, wagging his rear in the air.

What a sight it was - the last descendant of House Nuvelle, playing fetch with an over-grown bloodhound, so to speak. Constance wondered, briefly, if her staff thought she had lost whatever little sanity she had left.

The Hapi cooed beside her, "Aww, don't make him beg, Coco! Throw it for him!"

With a flick of her wrist and a jolt of magic, Constance flung the stick to the other end of the field, a good kilometre away. The beast took exactly two seconds to get the stick.

"Okay, Giggles, bring it back!" shouted Hapi.

The beast ignored her.

"Giggles! Gigi! Hey! Bring it back, boy! C'mon!" cajoled Hapi to deaf ears.

When Hapi jogged towards Giggles, he took the stick and ran away further. Balancing it between his…paws, he eyed Hapi suspiciously.

Once Hapi jogged back to her side, all efforts to take back the stick abandoned, she said, "The next time we come, he'll have learned how to bring it back, I promise."

Constance felt her shoulders tighten at the words. She wished it was at the prospect of the beast coming back, but she knew that wasn't the case.

"That means you shall be off again?"

"Mm. I'll be leaving in a week, heading to old Faerghus territory to see Freckles."

Constance knew that Hapi was a wanderer at heart. She had been denied that freedom first in her youth, by Cornelia, and then in her adulthood, in Abyss. Meanwhile, Constance's eyes were set only in her house, in terrain that was once Nuvelle lands, and nowhere else.

She knew she had no right in demanding Hapi to settle down.

Yet selfishness won. "It is my wish that you return soon. Without you, Nuvelle Manor is...lonely." How unseemly for a noble to talk to the dirt, but Constance could not bring herself to lift her head.

Hapi's embrace was strong. "I'll come back soon, Coco."

They stayed that way, wrapped around each other, warmth radiating off Hapi's sinewy form in the night's chill.

"You know I could use my magic to take the stick away from him, right?"

"Don't be a bully, Coco."


	4. Picnic and Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Popping a piece of cheese into her mouth, Hapi said, "'E's a goo' boy."
> 
> Constance hummed around her teacup, part disapprovingly, part affectionately.
> 
> "'At nigh', 'e shleeps aroun' me 'ike a pack," said Hapi, finally swallowing. Constance tried not to focus on the way her throat bobbed at the action. "It's nice. It's like we're family."
> 
> Constance smiled. "I'm glad, dear Hapi. You deserve it at last."
> 
> Hapi's smile was soft, sweet. "You're my family too, Coco."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one got a little thirsty from cocos end man oh man just KISS

Somehow, Hapi had cobbled together a saddle for them to use. Geoffrey had informed her that Hapi had been tinkering about in the stables, and clearly, this was the result.

Once completing the task that was scaling Giggles' side to clamber onto the saddle, Constance looked expectantly at the pink-haired woman seated behind her.

"Okay Gigi, let's go!"

Obediently, the beast lifted itself. Constance grabbed the hook on the saddle before her as the beast towered before the ground. She was used to heights, but that was with steeds that were raised properly, not badly-trained Demonic Beasts who ate flowers too frequently for the gardeners' comfort.

They made their way to an orchard a little distance from the manor. Geoffrey and her personal guard followed behind in pegasi, learning to fly a little behind when Giggles reared up to snap at one of the animals.

Seated under a peach tree's shadow and atop a patterned quilt, Constance took in Hapi's form as she let Giggles loose. Settling next to her, Hapi reached into the basket she had brought excitedly.

Some time later, cakes, sandwiches, fruit, cheese and a tea set littered the quilt. Hapi was leaning back against one arm, gazing fondly at Giggles, who was...playing...with Constance's guards.

Popping a piece of cheese into her mouth, Hapi said, "'E's a goo' boy."

Constance hummed around her teacup, part disapprovingly, part affectionately.

"'E's goo' company, thoo. At nigh', 'e shleeps aroun' me 'ike a pack," said Hapi, finally swallowing. Constance tried not to focus on the way her throat bobbed at the action. "It's nice. It's like we're family."

Constance smiled. "I'm glad, dear Hapi. You deserve it at last."

Hapi's smile was soft, sweet. "You're my family too, Coco."

To stop herself from leaning down and tasting Hapi's lips, Constance turned away and took a bite of a jam sandwich. The generously layered berry jam - Hapi's favourite - spilled onto her cheek. Constance dabbed it away with her handkerchief.

Slender fingers caught her chin, pulling her downwards. Before she could react, Hapi had placed her lips at the spot, where her cheek and lips met, and Constance shuddered as Hapi's tongue slid across.

Drawing back, Hapi's gaze never left her lips. "You missed a spot," she murmured huskily.

The smouldering hunger in their depths was drowning Constance, and she felt her resolve weaken. She could lean forward, and-

A scream erupted from her guards.

They sprang apart, only to witness Giggles with one of her guards in his mouth, the trapped soldier's screams piercing the air. Hapi dashed towards the scene immediately, leaving Constance trembling on the blanket.

Un-ladylike and ignoble words were muttered by the blonde, all directed at the wretched beast.


	5. Letters from Hapi and Giggles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hapi was terrible at writing letters.
> 
> Noble standards aside, letters would usually discuss a topic. Hapi's were all over the place, bouncing from a story in school to a dish she had eaten to an obscure piece of knowledge on animal behaviour, with no connecting thread between them. It made Constance's head ache, sometimes.
> 
> Letters from Giggles were just about as confusing.

Once Hapi left, Constance threw herself back into her work as usual. It was a lot easier to focus on her duties for the Empire when there wasn't a massive mutt in her back lawn who took afternoon slumbers that caused the earth to tremble from his snores.

That being said, Constance had commissioned her carpenter to build a stable large enough for Giggles only a day after they had left.

Hapi sent letters often. It was an unusual move on her part - Constance was more used to receiving a letter announcing the pink-haired woman's arrival in a few days hence - but the change was quite welcome.

However, she quickly found that Hapi was terrible at writing letters.

Noble standards aside, letters would usually discuss a topic. Hapi's were all over the place, bouncing from a story in school to a dish she had eaten to an obscure piece of knowledge on animal behaviour, with no connecting thread between them. It made Constance's head ache, sometimes.

Nevertheless, she was happy to hear from her dear Hapi. She wrote back with updates on the manor, on her health, and their friends.

One day, Geoffrey hefted a massive envelope into her room, and Constance sighed once she saw the name.

Letters from Giggles were just about as confusing. A massive paw-print wasn't comprehensible in Fodlan terms, no matter how sweet the sentiment was. So Constance began to try to deduce what each print meant. A strong impression meant Giggles was happy, a lighter impression meant he wasn't. And that's where her incredible Nuvelle deductive capability ended, because there really were no more clues to go on.

She wrote back asking about his health, his favourite foods, and if he was liking the sights of Fodlan. His responses gave her no understandable answers to her questions.

It was insanity, but Constance knew how much it meant to Hapi. Each letter from Hapi was kept in a drawer in her study table, and soon, Giggles' incomprehensible scratches were filed in a large cabinet.

Until one day, the letters stopped coming.

Constance had been preparing herself for the moment, knowing Hapi's habits, but the blow hurt nevertheless. Days turned into weeks, and the bubbling fear for Hapi's well-being returned to simmer below the surface.

Weeks turned into a month, and still no news from her dear Hapi and the mutt. Constance knew they could take care of themselves - Hapi's magical ability aside, the monster itself could swat away danger like bugs - but she ached to see Hapi's chicken-scratch and Giggles' meaningless impressions once more.

And then, two months later, Geoffrey hefted another massive letter onto her table, and she laughed in relief.

_ Giggles missed you, so he wanted to say hi. I miss you too, Coco. We'll see you soon. Love, Hapi. _

And below, the imprint of a beastly paw.

**Author's Note:**

> i love these two with my whole heart hapicoco rights babey!!!


End file.
